1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for setting main-sub (parent-child) relation of electronic appliances such as a cordless telephone system including a main (parent) unit and a sub (child) unit wireless-connected to the main unit. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for setting main-sub relation enabling easy expansion (addition) of a sub unit.
2. Description of the Background Art
Recently, a cordless telephone system allowing use of a plurality of sub units has come to be widely used. When the cordless telephone systems are sold, cases that the systems including one main unit and two or more sub units, sold as a set are few. In most cases, a user purchases one main unit and one sub unit and, additionally buys another sub unit when it becomes necessary afterward. In such a case, it is necessary to register in the additional sub unit purchased afterward, the same call identification (hereinafter referred to as ID) as the main unit, or the information that the number of sub units is increased by one, in the main unit.
For this purpose, generally, the main unit and the sub unit of the cordless telephone system has a special operational mode, referred to as an expansion mode, different from a normal mode. When a sub unit is to be added, the operational mode of the main unit and the new sub unit to be added is changed from the normal mode to the expansion mode by a special operation. When a sub unit No. of the sub unit to be added is input to the main unit in the expansion mode, the main unit transmits, by wireless communication, the sub unit No. and a signal instructing addition, to the sub unit. The sub unit receives these, and writes the ID and the sub unit No. in a memory.
Thereafter, the sub unit transmits a signal acknowledging reception of the signal instructing addition, to the main unit. Upon reception of this acknowledgement signal, the main unit determines that expansion (addition) has successfully completed, and writes information that a sub unit is added, in a memory. Thus, the new sub unit that has stored the same sub unit No. and the ID as the main unit is now capable of wireless connection with the main unit.
When an added sub unit fails or becomes unnecessary, it becomes necessary to cancel information of the sub unit that is not used, stored in the main unit. Therefore, a process is necessary in which the operational mode of the main unit is changed from the normal mode to a cancellation mode and the information of the sub unit that is not used is canceled.
In this manner, special operations are necessary for adding or removing a sub unit. In order to prevent erroneous expansion or cancellation, generally, the operation for switching the operational mode from the normal mode to the expansion mode or to the cancellation mode is often intentionally made complicated. Thus, the method of expansion is not easily comprehensible to many users. For example, in order to change the operational mode from the normal mode to the expansion mode, an exemplary necessary procedure is xe2x80x9cto turn the power on while continuously pressing a prescribed key.xe2x80x9d As recent telephone systems, come to have various and many convenient functions, method of operation has come to be more complicated accordingly, confusing the users. Therefore, manufacturers of cordless telephone systems set up inquiry call numbers at retail outlets and customer service centers, to answer inquiries and questions from the users.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 8-223282 discloses a technique that makes easier an operation for the user to add a sub unit to a system. Referring to FIG. 12, the invention described in this laid-open application includes a cordless telephone system including a main unit 1000 connected to a telephone circuit, an existing sub unit 1200 and a new sub unit 1500 to be wireless-connected to main unit 1000, wherein the main unit 1000 includes a first memory storing sub unit information for identifying existing sub unit 1200 and new sub unit 1500 to be connected, and a first memory control circuit for controlling the first memory to store the sub unit information. Each of the existing sub unit 1200 and the new sub unit 1500 includes a second memory storing sub unit information specifying itself, and a second memory control circuit for controlling the second memory to store the sub unit information identifying itself. Main unit 1000 includes a control apparatus enabling the first and second memories to store sub unit information identifying the new sub unit 1500 to be added, while keeping telephone communication with the telephone system 1600 installed at a retail outlet through the telephone circuit.
The control apparatus is capable of letting the first and second memories of main unit 1000 and new sub unit 1500 to be added store the sub unit information identifying the new sub unit 1500 to be added, while the main unit 1000 starts and keeps a telephone call to telephone system 1600 installed in the retail outlet. Thus, it is possible for a user who is not familiar with the process of expansion, to add the new sub unit while making reference to the service person at the retail outlet or the customer service center of the manufacturer of the cordless telephone system, over the connected telephone line.
In accordance with the invention described in the aforementioned laid-open application, however, it is necessary for the user to purchase the new sub unit 1500 at a retail outlet, and to perform the process for adding the new sub unit 1500 by himself at his home, in accordance with an instruction from a salesperson, for example. Therefore, the user""s burden, which is considerably increased as the method of setting varies widely and the number of items to be set increases, is still considerably heavy.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for setting main-sub relation, enabling setting of a sub unit newly added to a main unit in a simple manner.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method of setting main-sub relation enabling setting of a sub unit newly added to a main unit at a retail outlet, even when the main unit is placed at a user""s home.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method of setting main-sub relation enabling a user to purchase a sub unit of which setting for expansion is already completed.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method of setting main-sub relation enabling a user to visit a retail outlet and to purchase a sub unit of which setting for expansion is already completed.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method of setting main-sub relation that enables comprehension of the state of setting for expansion.
The apparatus for setting main-sub relation in accordance with the present invention is for setting a main-sub relation of electric appliances including one main unit and one or more sub units connected to the main unit. The main unit includes a first storage circuit for storing information identifying itself. The sub unit includes a second storage circuit storing information identifying a main unit to which it is connected. The main-sub relation setting apparatus is capable of communicating with an arbitrary main unit through a first communication medium, and capable of communicating with a sub unit through a second communication medium. The main-sub relation setting apparatus includes a first communication circuit connected to the first communication medium and reading information stored in the first storage circuit of the main unit connected to the main-sub relation setting apparatus through the first communication medium, and a second communication circuit connected to the second communication medium and the first communication circuit and writing information for identifying the main unit to which the sub unit is to be connected, to a second storage circuit of the sub unit connected to the main-sub relation setting apparatus through the second communication medium.
The first communication medium enables communication between the main-sub relation setting apparatus and an arbitrary main unit, and the second communication medium enables communication between the main-sub relation setting apparatus and a sub unit. The first communication circuit reads, through the first communication medium, information (ID or the like different for each main unit, by which the main unit can identify itself) stored in the first storage circuit of an arbitrary main unit. The second communication circuit writes the information of the arbitrary main unit read by the first communication circuit, to the second storage circuit of the sub unit connected to the main-sub relation setting apparatus, through the second communication medium. Thus, the information of the main unit specifying itself stored in the first storage circuit of the main unit can be stored in the second storage circuit of the sub unit, whereby the sub unit can identify the main unit to which it is to be connected.
More preferably, the main unit is placed at a first location, the main-sub relation setting apparatus is placed at a second location different from the first location, and connectable to the main unit by the first communication medium, and the main-sub relation setting apparatus further includes an activating circuit for activating the first and second communication circuits based on information transmitted from the first location.
It is possible to activate the communication circuits based on the information of adding a new sub unit, transmitted from a first location such as the user""s home to the main-sub relation setting apparatus placed at the second location, and to perform setting for expansion.
More preferably, the main unit is placed at a first location, the main-sub relation setting apparatus is placed at a second location different from the first location and connectable to the main unit by the first communication medium, and the main-sub relation setting apparatus further includes an activating circuit responsive to an instruction to add a new sub unit to an arbitrary main unit transmitted from the second location, for establishing communication with the designated main unit, and activating the first and second communication circuits.
As the user visits the second location where the main-sub relation setting apparatus is placed and provides an instruction to add a new sub unit on the main-sub relation setting apparatus, the communication circuits are activated based on the instruction, enabling setting for expansion.
More preferably, the main-sub relation setting apparatus further includes a vending unit responsive to the instruction to add a new sub unit to an arbitrary main unit, vending a sub unit, having the information for specifying the main unit to be connected stored by the second communication circuit, in the second storage circuit of the new sub unit.
When the user visits the second location where the main-sub relation setting apparatus is placed and provides an instruction to add a new sub unit in the main-sub relation setting apparatus, it becomes possible to purchase a sub unit in which setting for expansion has been already finished.
More preferably, the main-sub relation setting apparatus further includes a display unit connected to the second communication circuit and displaying communication history between the second communication circuit and the sub unit.
It is possible to monitor a communication error or the like, based on the communication history displayed on the display unit.
The method of setting main-sub relation in accordance with another aspect of the present invention is for setting the main-sub relation in a main-sub relation setting apparatus setting main-sub relation between electric appliances including a main unit and one or more sub units connected to the main unit. The main unit includes a first storage circuit storing information for specifying itself. The sub unit includes a second storage circuit for storing information for specifying a main unit to which it is connected. The main-sub relation setting apparatus is capable of communicating with an arbitrary main unit through a first communication medium, and capable of communicating with a sub unit through a second communication medium. The method of setting main-sub relation includes the steps of: preparing communication with a main unit connected to the main-sub relation setting apparatus through the first communication medium, preparing communication with the sub unit connected to the main-sub relation setting apparatus through the second communication medium, reading information stored in the first storage circuit of the main unit connected to the main-sub relation setting apparatus through the first communication medium, and writing, based on the read information of the main unit, information specifying the main unit to which the sub unit is to be connected, in the second storage circuit of the sub unit connected to the main-sub relation setting apparatus through the second communication medium.
In the step of preparing communication, communication between an arbitrary main unit and a sub unit is prepared. In the step of reading information, the information stored in the first storage circuit of the arbitrary main unit is read through the first communication medium. In the step of writing information, the read main unit information of the arbitrary main unit is written in the second storage circuit of the sub unit connected to the main-sub relation setting apparatus through the second communication medium. Thus, the main unit information identifying the main unit itself stored in the first storage circuit of the main unit can be stored in the second storage circuit of the sub unit, and hence it is possible for the sub unit to identify the main unit to which it is to be connected.